The Montessori School of Celebration began when a group of parents in the newly formed town of Celebration got together in 1997 with the common goal of providing a Montessori education for their children and for the community at large. Led by Karin and Lance Boyer, they joined forces with Helen DeVere and Karen Simon, from the Orlando Montessori Teacher Education Institute and worked diligently to make the goal a reality. On June 14th, 1999 the school opened its doors for the Summer School session, with two classrooms for 3-6 year old children. In August, 2001, the school went through its first expansion and began a Lower Elementary classroom for 6-9 year old children. In 2004, we moved into a new, larger building where we have two 3-6 year old classrooms, one Lower Elementary classroom (6-9 year olds), one Upper Elementary classroom (9-12 year olds) and a growing Adolescent Program classroom (12-16 year olds).
OUR SCHOOL TODAY
Visitors who enter our school for the first time often comment on the sense of peace, beauty order, tranquility and joy they encounter in the classroom environments. They comment on the focused work they observe from the children and the joy of learning that they sense coming from them. Our students are eager to come to school each day as they know that they can learn in an environment in which lively discussions and lessons are part of each day and that there is respect between adults and children. Our teachers are inspired educators who join together with students and parents to make MSC a vibrant and unique school.
At MSC we are committed to building a strong sense of community amongst students, families and staff members. We have around 120 children from about 80 families. Many of our families live in the town of Celebration, but others come from neighboring communities. Part of what makes MSC such a special place is the diverse backgrounds of our families, representing many different countries around the globe. We come together as a motivated community with the common goal of making our school an energetic learning community which honors children and their progress as a whole person: academically, emotionally, socially and developmentally.
Community involvement is a key component of Montessori education and at MSC. The interest and participation of the entire family in school activities and volunteerism reinforces and enriches a child’s educational experiences. The presence and support of the adults in a child’s life demonstrates that education is a family priority.
The Montessori School of Celebration is housed in a building that was built to the school’s specifications. We moved into this facility in January 2004. All the classrooms are contained in the building, as well as a playground area for the Children’s House students. The older students use a park across the street for their recess. For Physical Education we use a field and swimming pool directly across the street from the school.